Posts Tagged ‘10X rule’

I love to read! I have my Kindle out on every trip and at just about every free moment. And my go-to books are almost always selections that are empowering and about business, or about personal growth. I’m asked so often about my favorite business books and there are so many that it’s hard to name just a few. Plus each year as I read new books, I add more and more to my list of favorites.

But just in case you’ve missed reading any of these, I thought I’d give you a list of a few of my “must reads”. Let’s take a look.

Start with Why, by Simon Sinek. This is a book that I refer to constantly in my courses and live events. It gets right to the core of each one of us by asking a simple question: Why? Why do you want to go to work? Why do you want to own your own business? Why do you get out of bed every day? The answer can’t just be money – it has to be deeper than that. There has to be a passion, a deep reason that we each decided to do what we’re doing. If you recognize what your “why” is, and you keep that constantly as your focus, you will succeed!

Worth Every Penny, by Sarah Petty and Erin Verbeck. This isn’t a book that you just go through once and then put on a shelf – it’s the type that you’ll refer to over and over again. It lays out exactly how you can (and should!) charge what you’re worth. And it focuses on the idea that you should never compete on price, but instead should offer something unique and make your customer service completely over-the-top and consistent. A must-read for any small business owner.

Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg. There’s a reason why this book by Facebook’s COO got so much attention – it’s a game changer for women in business. Sandberg reminds women that we need to lean in instead of pulling back in business, that we need to stop thinking it’s wrong to be outspoken, aggressive, as powerful (or more) than men. And she says that women must raise our expectations of what we can achieve! This is an honest and straightforward book that redefines what and who women can be in the business world.

Rising Strong, by Brene Brown. You may not think of this as a traditional business book, but for me, it really is. Brown writes about failure in a different way than most books and blogs have. She not only recognizes that each one of us has failed, but that we will fail again soon. But it’s how we react AFTER failing that’s the key, she believes. She points out that we all have to be brave to fail – that we have to have the courage to try something new before we can fail at all. Once we see that, it takes the fear out of failure and shows us we can “rise strong.”

The 10x Rule, by Grant Cardone. I’ve used Cardone’s “massive action” approach to really propel my own business, so I know it works. The idea is that you should apply 10 times the effort to whatever your goal is. You have to move beyond normal action to separate yourself and your company from everyone else! You must set big goals – 10 times bigger – and then increase your amount of action and effort to get there. Most people settle for less, and that’s why they don’t achieve their dreams.

The Confidence Code, by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. I’ve talked a lot on this blog about confidence – I really believe that it’s a problem for so many in business, and it’s really holding people back from getting what they want–particularly women. This is a practical guide that tells women how we can up our confidence quotient through less people pleasing and perfectionism and by taking more action and risks, and by failing. Because through all of that, you learn that you can survive, and thrive!

What are your favorite business books? What do you read that inspires and empowers you? Let me know in the comments section below – I’m always looking for something to read!

People often ask me how I’ve achieved so many of the things that I’ve done – many times they seem to be looking for some sort of “secret sauce” that will help them get to the goals they’ve set for themselves. But I can honestly tell you that there isn’t any sort of secret. It’s just hard work!

No one really wants to hear that, but it’s true. Every designer that you see achieving something right now in our industry – whether it’s a book, a licensed product line, an award, a successful shop, or a speaking engagement – has worked really hard for it. Harder than you can imagine. But the rewards can be great and, for me, fulfilling my dreams is the ultimate reward!

The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone is one of my absolute favorite books. I think I’ve read it at least 3 times and I find something different (and profound) each time. In the book, Cardone says that the only difference between success and failure is trying hard – 10 times as hard! Whatever goals you currently have for yourself, Cardone says you should multiple that by 10. Go 10 times higher than what you think you are capable of achieving. And as he says, if you stop limiting yourself, you will be surprised by what you’re truly capable of. Our targets are often too low – and that causes us to underestimate ourselves and our potential. We need to set goals 10x higher to actually reach them!

But where Cardone really strikes a chord with me is when he talks about action. Massive action! The 10x rule means that you need to take 10x MORE action than what you’re taking at this very moment. If you usually make 5 sales calls to potential clients per day, start making 50. If you have as your goal to make $100,000 this year, reset that goal to $1,000,000! And he doesn’t just mean a pie-in-the-sky, arbitrary increase in your goals, but rather a plan with specific action steps laid out to actually get to the goal that is 10 times what you were originally thinking. And yes, I can already hear you saying: “I don’t have time to make 50 calls a day.” And you know what? That’s an excuse. You do if you really want to. You do if you cut out all the things in your daily life that aren’t getting you closer to your goals.

Yes, excuses rear their ugly heads all the time. We make excuses for our families, our businesses, and ourselves. Or negative self-talk and limiting beliefs lead to excuses, which lead to failure to meet our goals. Excuses are simply a way for us to justify our lack of performance. Excuses are our way of procrastinating the hard work required to reach our goals. And yes, the hard work can be painful. Only the few who really are determined will reach their potential. As they say, if it were easy, everyone would do it. But we know that not everyone does. Do you want to be one of the very few who actually make it to their ultimate goals and dreams? Then stop making excuses and start making a plan!

The more action you’re taking, the closer you will be to your success. It’s time to raise your standards. Again, stop limiting yourself – you’re capable of SO much more! What is it you’re working on right now that you can take MASSIVE action on? You have to get rid of excuses, set your sights high, and TAKE ACTION!

And be ready. This isn’t a life of leisure. You’re not going to have that 50-50 balance. You may feel like you are missing out on things. But if it’s your passion to reach your dreams, then this path is right for you. The rewards are great, but so is the hard work.

There is no such thing as “get rich quick” in this, or any other, business. And there are no shortcuts. You just have to get focused and do the work! So if you are still sitting there waiting for the shortcut, stop NOW! Commit to the hard work. Ask yourself what are you wasting time on (and you know you are). Cut that out so you can focus on the actions and activities that will you get you to your goals! Ask yourself what you should say no to so you can say YES to the things you really want in life. That means saying no to many, many more things than you say yes to.

Happy New Year, Friends!

I am so excited to welcome 2012. I think it’s going to be a cupcake year. By that I don’t mean easy, but one where we are going to live in our “sweet spot” with lots of great “extra” things that come our way just like icing on top! As I have said many times here on my blog, I just adore the chance to start fresh and to get excited about a whole new set of goals, plans, and dreams. And I can tell you I feel a positive energy this new year coming from all of you like I haven’t felt in a long time. I know it’s true people, 2012 is our year!

Resolutions…

So this year I am going to do things a bit differently here on the blog with respect to the new year. I am going to share with you my resolutions, those things I want to work on or implement this year, many of which are personal. But all of which, with some discipline and hard work, I know I can achieve!

Plans…

Then I am going to share with you some of my big plans for the year. These are things at home and in business that I am going to do this year, places I am going to visit, and ideas I am going to launch. I’m ready to “Just do it” for this list in 2012 so get ready to roll up your sleeves with me, friends!

Dreams…

And last, I think I will even share with you a few of my dreams. Those GIANT things that I would just love to accomplish in 2012. This is really a big thing for me to put out there in the universe. Things that one might put on her bucket list, things that we usually only think about but don’t speak of. I am going to put those out there for all of us to read and we will see if I just might get lucky enough in 2012 for some of them to come true. These are that “icing on the cupcake” that I was talking about! I’ve always heard, “put it out there in the universe and the laws of attraction will bring it to you”, well I think I’ll give it a whirl and we can check back 12 months from now and see if it worked.

So I hope you’ll spend the next 3 days with me while I share my Resolutions, Plans, and Dreams. I also hope you will create these for yourself over these next 3 days. And if you are willing, I’d love for you to share them with me so we can achieve them together over the next 12 months.

To give you a head-start in preparing to set your goals, here are a few great books, sites and programs that you might want to check out or even sign up for. I will be using several of these myself over the next year to achieve my goals.